


To Keep the Blade and Bend the Light

by Starkeeper_Ao3Fic



Series: Called to the Elements [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Badass Toph Beifong, F/M, Link and Toph bonding because cute, Link loves dogs so much you guys, Post-Breath of the Wild, Pre-Avatar: The Last Airbender, Talking Link (Legend of Zelda), idk man i just wanted to write something for zelda's anniversary
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:47:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29298363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starkeeper_Ao3Fic/pseuds/Starkeeper_Ao3Fic
Summary: The spirits were desperate to stop the war and return balance to the world. The Avatar was missing after a century, and the cycle hadn’t chosen a waterbender yet. Their only choice is to call for a hero of courage to save the world.Link had just struck the final blow to the Dark Beast, the Calamity, and was wrapping his arms around the only one he truly remembered, when a foreign light constricted him and began pulling him. Zelda reached desperately for him, and he for her, and managed to at least pull her along as reality ripped apart around him. Do Link and Zelda even have a stake in this world they’ve been thrown into? And does being a hero mean fighting when you’re not given a choice?
Relationships: Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Series: Called to the Elements [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2151804
Comments: 6
Kudos: 31





	1. Into the City of Earth

Link gripped his head and moaned as his splitting headache slowly subsided. He nibbled at a hearty bass skewer, the sun glimmering through the deep green leaves. His princess sat beside him, drinking the last of his hearty elixirs. He tapped the Sheikah Slate on, intending to search for hearty lizards, but was met with an error message.

“ _...Farore’s fury,_ ” Link muttered.

“Link?” Zelda asked. “Is something wrong?”

“The Slate’s not working. The map’s the same as if I were in a sandstorm so I can’t access the Sensor. Guess I’m gonna have to be careful looking for hearty lizards,” he moaned.

“There’s also a possibility they don’t exist here,” Zelda murmured. “Whatever just happened, if the map is acting like that there probably aren’t any Sheikah towers in range,” she offered.

Link nodded in understanding. “...And if there aren’t any Sheikah towers we could either be from before the days of them, which was at least ten millennia ago and lizards may not have gained hearty properties yet, or we’re so far in the future that the Sheikah towers have collapsed and they could have died out, or we’re just so far away that they don’t exist here.”

“Precisely,” Zelda approved. “If nothing else I appreciate your mostly newfound articulation in speech,” she giggled.

“Goddesses, I hope Impa’s alright,” Link worried. “I think I saw a couple Sheikah at the edge of my vision and... well. They’d definitely have seen. Whatever happened.”

“Well, I don’t suppose there’s any chance of getting _back_ the way we came,” Zelda sighed. “I guess the only thing we can do is... move forward. Try to find some civilization.”

“When did you get so genre-savvy?” Link chuckled, flipping his traveler’s hood over his head and offering the stealth clothing to Zelda. “Probably more comfortable than that dress.”

Zelda rolled her eyes teasingly. “Though I was trapped in Hyrule Castle I could send myself almost anywhere within. A hundred years is a _lot_ of reading time, even if I had to spend most of it concentrating on Ganon’s bindings lest they crack.” She ducked behind a tree and Link turned his back so she could change in privacy.

“Zelda... I... I’m sorry, by the way,” Link sighed. “I’m sorry for failing you, and Hyrule.”

Zelda chuckled softly. “I’m the one who failed...”

“No, you were just blocked from your power. I _had_ all the skill and equipment and training to win and... I couldn’t,” Link sighed. “You know the history better than I do. I’m basically the _only_ hero who’s ever failed. Some have gotten close, sure, but...”

Zelda gripped his shoulder firmly, now dressed in the brown-dyed stealth armor. “Link... I’ve been wondering something. Maybe... maybe it wasn’t anybody’s fault except for Ganon. Maybe... maybe we should stop blaming ourselves for events out of our control.”

“Heh... guess I know why the Zelda’s of the past bore the Triforce of Wisdom.”

“Actually, Link, how do _you_ know all that?” Zelda wondered as the two began walking forward.

Link pulled out the sacred blade that gleamed with the power of the Trial of the Sword. “When I completed the trial... I heard the voice in the sword. She... she told me stories. Specifically the ones about the heroes who’d borne the Master Sword. The Hero of Time, of the Sky, of Twilight... and, uh, it was like it unlocked memories of them. I dunno, it’s kinda weird...”

Zelda smiled gently. “Hey, it’s alright. I... well, I don’t quite _understand,_ but it’s not my place to... Wait, is that a city?” she suddenly realized, raising an arm forward. 

Link looked forward and nodded. “We should be careful, though,” he pointed out. “Wouldn’t be good if we got mistaken for an enemy after stalking through the woods.”

Zelda nodded and gestured to a road. “Let’s follow the road until we can’t see any guards. Assuming they have at least somewhat worse sight than a Rito we should be fine."

“Seems a solid plan,” Link agreed.

The two ambled down until they passed a large group of people surrounded by a couple of guards. Zelda frowned. “Link? Analysis?” she asked, knowing she could count on his sharp eyes.

“Likely not an army,” he whispered back. “Too few wearing armor and almost none carrying any sort of weapon. Probably not prisoners or slaves, since there’s no shackles or chains and the guards seem to be better positioned to defend the group, plus the group is so large that they could easily overpower the guards. My best guess is they’re refugees based on the condition of some of them.”

“I wish we knew if it was by war or by natural disaster,” Zelda sighed.

“But this is probably our best chance to get into the city,” Link pointed out. “Slip into the refugees and act natural.”

“Don’t you think the guards would notice?” Zelda asked. “Especially since none of them have any hair color beyond brown and black... maybe a _bit_ of gray, but not much.”

Link thought a moment and shrugged. “Worst case scenario, we get forced out and questioned. I might need to hide the Master Sword, though...”

“Oh?”

“Glowing swords aren’t particularly common even in Hyrule,” Link chuckled. “Probably best to not stir up trouble unless we find out they’re ten rupees a dozen.”

“Fair!” Zelda chuckled. “Which are you going to use, then?”

“I was thinking knight’s broadsword, maybe. Simple, not overly ornate, and decent attack power,” Link replied, fishing said blade from his pack.

“How _do_ you do that?” Zelda muttered.

“Do what?” Link asked innocently as he slipped the Master Sword into his pack, the laws of physics being tossed aside casually.

“Never mind,” Zelda sighed. “I’ll take the Bow of Light,” she offered, flicking her wrist. The bow disintegrated into golden dust that formed into a simple bracelet with a bow carving on Zelda’s wrist.

Link grinned impishly. “ _Handy,_ ” he squeaked.

“Yes, quite- hold on a second.” Zelda glowered at Link, who snickered in amusement. “Why.”

“I wasn’t able to pun for a hundred years,” Link replied smugly before hurrying off to join the refugee band. Zelda rolled her eyes and pursued him.

Link’s plan went better than Zelda expected. Nobody- not the guards, not the refugees, not even the dogs- thought anything strange of Link and Zelda... until her pointed ears were revealed. She inwardly cursed as a shout rang out and one of the guards held a stone dagger to Zelda. Link hissed and knocked it aside. “You _will not_ harm her,” he stated firmly, drawing his blade.

The dagger flew back to the guard’s hand and the refugee band stopped, tantalizingly close to the city. “I’m an earthbender. What can you do, little man?”

Zelda pursed her lips. Link _was_ rather short and probably would have deserved the jab had he been in the wrong, she reasoned, before turning her attention back to the knight.

“I’ve trained in the art of the blade since childhood,” Link chuckled. “I managed to at least momentarily overpower the one who burned my home in single combat.”

The guard faltered. “You went toe to toe with a firebender and _survived?_ ” he gaped in shock. “I don’t believe it. You don’t even have burn marks!”

Link frowned and pulled up his tunic, revealing one of the scars obtained from his desperate stand against the Guardian horde a hundred years ago. “You were saying?” he asked accusingly.

Zelda knit her eyebrows and put a hand on Link’s elbow. “Let’s... not fight, please. I’m sure we can resolve this peacefully,” she begged.

“No need, miss,” the guard who’d previously been leading the band intoned. “You two are definitely against the Fire Nation with a burn mark like _that_ and the choice to use sword instead of bending.”

Link shrugged. “Got more burn scars, but... well, there are children here. Not all of them are in particularly appropriate parts.”

Zelda shuddered. She _thought_ she’d seen a laser tear through his pants, but the rain and mud had made it impossible to tell. Now she knew.

The guards nodded quickly and the refugees proceeded into the city. Link was suddenly peppered with questions on what it was like to fight a “firebender.” He cringed backward and Zelda gently nudged them away and held Link close. This drove off most of the women, and a few sharp glares were enough to get everyone else away. Link smiled in appreciation as he and Zelda examined the city. 

The buildings were constructed from stone, but unlike Hylian buildings there were no bricks, and unlike the Gorons the stone was smooth. Link murmured his perspective of similarities to Gerudo Town and Zelda nodded in agreement. The roofs were made from clay tiles, and all in all much of the city was constructed from stone except for a few vending stalls in what Zelda assumed was the marketplace. 

Her mind drifted to festival days in Castle Town when she was a child, the few times her father let her escape her training, and all the delicious food and beautiful trinkets displayed. Tears wet her eyes as the memories resurfaced and it was Link’s turn to hold her.

“It’s okay, Zelda,” he murmured quietly. “We’ll find a way back, I promise.”

“Alright, you all!” the leading guard announced. “The Beifong family has graciously allowed you to stay a night in their estate. I expect you all to be on your best behavior, on pain of expulsion from the city.”

A murmur of agreement shot through the crowd and Zelda raised her eyebrows. “Estate? If they’re refugees... well, I suppose not everywhere is affected by this war against the firebenders...” she murmured quietly. Link shrugged in response, unsure how to respond.

The crowd stumbled into a huge courtyard and Link’s immediate response was to scan it for enemies and monsters before remembering he really didn’t have to worry about it yet. He still looked around. A young girl sat dejectedly on a small stone step, with a green and yellow headband holding a stylish black bun and wearing an ankle-length tan dress with green sleeves. Link slipped to the edge of the crowd and whispered a greeting.

The girl’s head snapped up and she tapped her bare foot against the ground several times, concentrating fiercely, and Link responded in kind.

“Huh...” the girl mumbled, cocking her head curiously. “Don’t recognize your foot pattern. You new around here?”

“Yeah,” Link nodded. “Refugee. Name’s Link. What’s yours?”

The girl snickered. “That name sounds dumb. You got, like, past lives named Link?”

Link grinned. “You could say I have a _chain_ of ancestors whose name I share.”

Toph guffawed. “I like you. Name’s Toph Beifong.”

“Oh, you live here, then?”

“Yep. Daughter of Lao and Poppy Beifong, the heads of the Beifong estate,” Toph droned, as if reciting from a script.

Link sighed. “...I take it you’re not the closest of people?”

Toph chuckled. “You could say that. My dad thinks I need to be coddled and smothered just ‘cause I’m blind. I can see just fine! I just... I see with my feet, not my eyes.”

Link whistled in realization. “That tapping, were you ‘seeing’ where I was? That why you’re barefoot?”

Toph grinned. “You bet. Hate shoes.”

“Genius,” Link replied. “Ah, I gotta get back to the group. Catch you later, maybe?”

“I’d like that,” Toph murmured before running into the house at the end of the courtyard. Link shrugged and slipped back to Zelda.


	2. Learning the Situation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a few things I should probably clear up, this story uses the theory that all the Links are descended from the Hero of the Sky, and also a personal headcanon that the Divine Beast signs we see on the side of the screen to indicate charges for the Champion abilities appear on Link's hand just because there's obviously no player here and I need some way to justify Link knowing how many charges of each ability he has. Anyway, enjoy the story!

“Greetings, refugees!” Lao Beifong announced proudly. His wife stood beside him and Toph had been seated in a chair between and slightly behind them. Well, it was more like she’d been put there and earthbent a chair for herself. Link couldn’t stop the beaming grin that split his face as she put on the daintiest “I hate you” scowl he had ever seen. He monetarily wondered how Toph would react to Urbosa or Revali before dismissing the thought. The Divine Beast signs on the back of his left hand flickered faintly as a rush of emotion Link was far too familiar with surged forth. He reached into his pack and fingered the hilt of Urbosa’s cherished Scimitar of the Seven and Daruk’s trusty Boulder Breaker to stabilize his thoughts before returning his attention to Beifong.

“Now, I know it’s been very hard for you the past few days, but I have a bit more bad news for you,” Beifong sighed. “I was told that nearly a hundred people arrived in the group, and it is frankly impossible for me and my family to support that many people for an extended period of time, so most of you will have a week at most before you have to leave.”

A general grumble hit the crowd before Beifong raised a hand to quiet them. Link merely nodded placidly, having expected something similar the moment he found out about the refugee situation. “The  _ good _ news,” Beifong continued, “is that Poppy and I are willing to hire a few of you! Some general jobs, in exchange for weekly pay and room and board here at the Beifong estate!”

The grumbles turned to intrigued murmurs.

Beifong grinned. “Yes, there are two dozen jobs in total. Most are construction, servant, and guard jobs, but the best paying one is the protection of my daughter Toph.”

Link called out just loud enough to be heard, “What are the requirements?”

“Ah, excellent question!” Beifong replied happily. “For the construction jobs a modicum of earthbending skill is required, for the servant jobs the only requirement is full literacy, for the guard jobs you’ll need to demonstrate combat and awareness skill, and the same for my daughter’s protector except that you’ll need to be especially proficient at combat in whatever way you’re best. I, ah, do not expect that one to be filled but perhaps I may be surprised!”

Link smiled and Zelda raised an eyebrow in amusement. “I take it you’ll be applying for that last one?” she whispered.

Link grinned in response.

“In any case, I hope you will be able to find a place to live without the threat of the Fire Nation,” Beifong concluded. “Signups for the positions are at the front wall next to the entrance!”

About half the crowd moved to the signups, and Link was joined by ten others including Zelda at the protector signup. Thankfully he found that his transportation to this place had included an understanding of the written language, as though it was obviously different than normal Hylian, Link could understand it and write in it if he focused enough. 

Zelda was right behind him and bit her lip. “I’m not really certain if I could  _ do _ any of these,” she murmured worriedly. “I’m not much good in combat and definitely can’t earthbend.”

Link stroked her shoulder. “It’s alright, Zelda. I’m confident that I’m good enough to at least get a guard position and we’ll get a place to live together if you can’t live here with me,” he promised.

Zelda sighed gratefully and nodded. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Link grinned back as a guard whistled. “Alright, refugees! We’ve got bedding for each of you, so get it and claim a spot to sleep!” he called. Link and Zelda walked over hand in hand and grabbed a roll of blankets before walking off to an area mostly populated by families. Zelda quickly introduced herself and chatted with them while Link set up their area. He checked his inventory and pulled out some herbs and mushrooms along with some wood and a flint. The sun was about halfway between its peak and the horizon and Link sighed. He slipped the food back in his pouch and arranged the wood into a campfire position.

A nearby woman, with rich brown hair and fair tan skin, sputtered. “Where’d that wood come from?”

“Hm?” Link asked absentmindedly, stretching his arms with a yawn. He estimated he’d been awake for at  _ minimum  _ a full day, with the travel and through Hyrule Castle, the fight with both of Ganon’s forms, and however long the trip here had taken. Point being, he was beginning to feel tired.

“That wood! It looked like you pulled it out of your hip!” the woman insisted.

Zelda turned around and sighed. “Link... has a bag that likes to ignore the laws of physics in the vein of weight and what should be able to fit inside it. He refuses to explain how it works or acknowledge that it’s unusual.”

“You mean it  _ is? _ ” Link sputtered. “C’mon, you’re pulling my leg. We’ve both seen weirder.”

Zelda moaned in frustration. “Link, if you weren’t more capable than I in nearly every form of combat that I can think of...”

Link snickered. “I do this entirely to annoy you.”

Zelda set a hand to her face. “I’m  _ aware. _ ”

A low chuckle rang through those paying attention as they were successfully diverted from Link’s eccentricities and fairly pleasant, though somewhat uneasy, conversation ensued. Zelda’s immaculate social skills allowed her to get a great deal of the situation without coming off as even remotely strange and Link was highly impressed. As he understood it the gist was that a country called the Fire Nation had been waging war on the Northern and Southern Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom for a century and the Earth Kingdom wasn’t in great shape after a hundred years of war. There’d once been a group called the Air Nomads, but early in the war the Fire Nation wiped them out to prevent the hero called the Avatar from reincarnating to stop them and that said Avatar had been missing for that century. Zelda shared a meaningful look with Link at the reveal of this information.

After the conversation had changed topics, Link pondered this new information. It confirmed his suspicions that they were surrounded by war refugees. Beyond that... he really wasn’t sure what to think. He wandered over to a wall and pulled out his sword before running through his basic strikes. Zelda joined him after a few minutes and he sighed.

“That’s a ‘please go away, I’m trying to think’ sigh, isn’t it?” Zelda chuckled as Link sheathed his blade.

Link’s only reply was a soft laugh. After a moment, he turned and grabbed Zelda’s hand. “I’m just... not sure how to process this situation. Without context I can’t draw a conclusion,” he muttered.

“Even if it’s retaliation the people seemed... so  _ scared _ of the Fire Nation,” Zelda pointed out as she correctly guessed Link’s idea. “I can’t imagine that anyone could have treated a nation so horribly that they would show so little mercy.”

“True,” Link shrugged. “I’m just worried, is all. I really don’t want to lose you again. And... well, you and I are exotic as far as these people consider, so I don’t really think they’d be willing to let us go on our merry way.”

“...That’s not the only reason you’re worried, is it?” Zelda sighed.

Link shook his head gently. “No. It’s not,” he admitted. “I just... people don’t get tossed into unfamiliar lands without a  _ reason. _ The Hero of Time was tossed into Termina and had to save them from the moon, if I remember from the Sword’s story. Hero of Twilight, traveled to the Twilight Realm to save them from Zant. So... why did  _ we _ get pulled here?”

Zelda put on a thinking face and hesitantly suggested, “Maybe we were called to... help out with this war?”

Link shrugged. “Maybe, but... honestly, I’m not gonna go looking for trouble. Not when I know so little about where we are. But I’d wager we’re nowhere close to Hyrule.”

“That’s a  _ given, _ frankly,” Zelda agreed. “Come on. Let’s go get some dinner and some sleep.”

“Agreed. I’ve been awake for at least a full day,” Link murmured. “What are you thinking? Seafood skewers?”

“That would be lovely!” Zelda replied.

Link couldn’t help noticing how close he and the princess were as they walked back to their sleeping spot.

**Author's Note:**

> If you like this story, leave a kudos! And if there's anything you want to critique, or you want to see, leave a comment!


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